sunday morning

Well boys and girls... this afternoon is my last performance of my play and I am sad and happy and satisfied all at the same time. All in all, I've enjoyed my co-stars and the play. The story line was a little hokey (if you would have seen it you would have known what I am talking about) but it's one of those things that we wished that since we had physical access to the playwright we would have liked to have workshopped the play some, working out the script kinks and all, before staging.

On the positive side, I can't remember the last time I got along with all of the other actors in a play I was performing in. Never mind the technicality that there were only 3 total actors in the play and that the other two people were guys (which for some reason I never have a problem getting along with). But it still counts.

Prior to every performance, we run our lines and, without fail, always side track and make jokes and question lines or actions within the piece. We can never get through a line reading without distraction. Well, thank god for distractions and side comments during line readings, cause I would have never been prepared for the disaster that hit me within my first 2 minutes of begin on stage last night. I have a page of dialogue with someone who is a stranger in my house and then a baby is supposed to cry. My next line is in reaction to the baby crying. Well, the baby didn't cry. What was I to do? Should I say, "Oh, we woke the baby," like my line is supposed to be said even though the audience clearly didn't hear a baby cry or do I just walk off stage and jump a whole page of dialogue or do I sound like an idiot and say something that would sound like an unprovoked comment that seems out of character and makes you wonder why I'm still talking to this person. Naturally, I took the idiot route. "Oh, you know that Bob and I have a baby." Even that didn't cue the actor into saying his line and getting us back on track. He just said, "Oh you just go ahead." Oh SHIT! He was supposed to ask about the baby. FUCK! So I said another off-character thing. "We have a beautiful little girl." Then he said, "Son-of-a-gun, boy or girl?" I nearly wet myself with fear-laughter because he knew, and I knew he knew, and he knew that I knew, that he was off. Damn baby screwing up the scene. There were a few other moments in the play that made my director cringe, but for every screw up in the play last night I can confidently say that we all collectively knew as a group exactly what went wrong and did a good job of taking care of each other and making it look natural. The audience had no idea. Suckers.

There's nothing like performing to get you in the mood to do another play. This has been a really great week for acting related things. Kansas expertly helped me with my resume (and when I say help I mean she took one look at my pitiful excuse of a resume and grabbed it out of my hand and reworked it herself. Thanks, babe! It looks great.) and Shanel took pics of me so I could have a temporary headshot. The session with Shanel was an experience because I know NOTHING about photoshots (my last "session" was my high school graduation photos) and I realized how heavy I have gotten in the past 7 years (that's a lie, I've always been aware of how heavy I have gotten, it just made me cry on the inside when I saw it on film that this is how I present my physical self for auditions. Yuck!). But I'm in a good place to start auditioning. Casting directors, here I come!

On an unrelated note, I got my passport in the mail yesterday. Boy, were they fast! I received it less than 2 weeks after I submitted the application. I'm so excited. My first trip with my new form of government issued identification will be in August when I go to Toronto. Yeah, I know it's not the same as going across the Atlantic, but I'm as pleased as punch to be going somewhere that's not within the continental 48. Yay me!

call me neo

Last night, after dinner at a Chinese restaurant, I opened my fortune cookie and found the following fortune:

Among the lucky, you are the chosen one

No pressure or anything, right?

and the winner is...

Well boys and girls, it looks like Kansas and I tied in our unofficial 1st annual 62nd Annual Tony Awards survey. Thank you to all of the people whom we predicted would win (winners we got right are highlighted in the previous Tony post). And to the others, well... better luck next year.

I have to say that I was more excited about the plays this past season than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I love a good musical as much as the next girl and I love a great musical even more. But this was the year where I saw more plays than I could shake a stick at, and for the most part they were all wonderful. It was a good year for drama-viewing for me.

And speaking of shows... my one-act is going well, thanks for asking. I completed two out of five scheduled performances. The audience seems to be enjoying it. My energy and comfort level were much better on Sunday than it was on Saturday (opening). The playwright and the director were encouraging and gave me great support. As long as they think I'm doing well, that's all I could hope for.

So, with that said, I'm going to go to sleep now. Yeah, I know that I'm at work and all, but any chance I can get in a little shut-eye I'll take it. Don't judge.

i'm pretty sure...

...even though I had a really bad rehearsal tonight, tomorrow's opening is going to be just fine.

...my co-star's girlfriend flirted with me. And I liked it.

...I'm physically reverting (however slowly) back to my former self. Size 8 here I come.

...that most of my problems are not about me.

...that I'm on the right career track.

...that I have more talent and personality and love than I realize or am willing to admit.

...that it's okay for me to be unsure of what I believe as long as I believe in me.

...my self esteem is in a good place. How could it not be, a cute chick flirted with me.

day, what number did I leave off at?

I am sure you have realized, but are kind enough not to have pointed out, that I am no longer writing my daily or weekly exercise and writing diary. It is because I have been in rehearsals and castings for two shows, have taken a week long trip to the middle of America, and have not found the inspiration to get up before the sun has completed said action. In other words... I suck. I have not found it in me to establish a routine or to make either of these two activities a priority. Again, I suck.

However, I figure I'm getting some exercise anyway, as I am briskly walking down the path to hell.

because tony said so

I forced my co-workers to participate in my 1st annual 62nd Annual Tony Award nomination survey. Because I love them. Because I wanted them to amuse me. Because I said so. And here it is, our votes for this year's Tony Awards:

*Disclaimer - Two of the nominators listed below requested to be listed under an "assumed" identity (can you guess which ones?). They did not put their whole hearts into this task. They abated my request to play along with this time waster, but they still suck because they had too many demands this blogger was reluctant to fulfill. The other nominator picked her choices with lighting speed. However, I'm sure that if it turns out she got the most correct guesses she will do a victory dance in the office. None of the nominators, including myself, have seen all of the nominated shows.

Choreography
Jasmine- Rob Ashford, Cry Baby
Kansas- Rob Ashford, Cry Baby
Imani- Dan Knectges, Xanadu
Me- Rob Ashford, Cry Baby

Orchestrations
Jasmine- Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Kansas- Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Imani- Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In the Heights
Me- Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George

Book of a Musical
Jasmine- Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan, Cry Baby
Kansas- Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Imani- Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Me- Douglas Carter Beane, Xanadu

Original Score
Jasmine- Alan Menken et al, The Little Mermaid
Kansas- Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Imani- Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Me- Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights

Scenic Design (Play)
Jasmine- Anthony Ward, Macbeth
Kansas- Anthony Ward, Macbeth
Imani- Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Me- Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

Scenic Design (Musical)
Jasmine- David Farley et al, Sunday in the Park with George
Kansas- David Farley et al, Sunday in the Park with George
Imani- Anna Louizos, In the Heights
Me- David Farley et al, Sunday in the Park with George

Costume Design (Play)
Jasmine- Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Kansas- Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Imani- Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Me- Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Costume Design (Musical)
Jasmine- Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Kansas- Catherine Zuber, South Pacific
Imani- Paul Tazewell, In the Heights
Me- Catherine Zuber, South Pacific

Lighting Design (Play)
Jasmine- Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Kansas- Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Imani- Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Me- Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps

Lighting Design (Musical)
Jasmine- Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid
Kansas- Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid
Imani- Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid
Me- Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Sound Design (Play)
Jasmine- Ian Dickinson, Rock n Roll
Kansas- Ian Dickinson, Rock n Roll
Imani- Adam Cork, Macbeth
Me- Ian Dickinson, Rock n Roll

Sound Design (Musical)
Jasmine- Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy
Kansas- Scott Lehrer, South Pacific
Imani- Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy
Me- Scott Lehrer, South Pacific

Direction (Play)
Jasmine- Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Kansas- Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Imani- Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Me- Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County

Direction (Musical)
Jasmine- Authur Laurents, Gypsy
Kansas- Bartlett Sher, South Pacific
Imani- Thomas Kail, In the Heights
Me- Bartlett Sher, South Pacific

Featured Actor (Play)
Jasmine- RAUL, The Homecoming
Kansas- Jim Norton, The Seafarer
Imani- Raul Esparza, The Homecoming
Me- Raul Esparza, The Homecoming

Feature Actress (Play)
Jasmine- Marth Plimpton, Top Girls
Kansas- Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
Imani- Laurie Metcalf, November
Me- Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Featured Actor (Musical)
Jasmine- Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
Kansas- Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
Imani- Robin De Jesus, In the Heights
Me- Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Feature Actress (Musical)
Jasmine- Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Kansas- Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Imani- Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Me-Loretta Ables Sayre, South Pacific

Actor (Play)
Jasmine- Rufus Sewell, Rock n Roll
Kansas- Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Imani- Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
Me- Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Actress (Play)
Jasmine- Deanna Dunagen, August: Osage County
Kansas- Deanna Dunagen, August: Osage County
Imani- Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
Me- Deanna Dunagen, August: Osage County

Actor (Musical)
Jasmine- Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Kansas- Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Imani- Stew, Passing Strange
Me- Paulo Szot, South Pacific

Actress (Musical)
Jasmine- Patti Lupone, Gypsy
Kansas- Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George
Imani- Patti Lupone, Gypsy
Me- Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George

Play Revival
Jasmine- The Homecoming
Kansas- Boeing-Boeing
Imani- Macbeth
Me- Boeing-Boeing

Musical Revival
Jasmine- Gypsy
Kansas- South Pacific
Imani- Gypsy
Me- South Pacific

Play
Jasmine- The Seafarer
Kansas- August: Osage County
Imani- August: Osage County
Me- August: Osage County

Musical
Jasmine- Cry Baby (only because she didn't want to nominate Xanadu)
Kansas- In the Heights
Imani- Cry Baby
Me-In the Heights

they are called the "never" and the "rarely" for a reason

God is all powerful. God is good and benevolent. There is no way any benevolent god would allow the MTA to exist. Therefore, god doesn't exist.

I left work at 6pm yesterday. I didn't have to be at rehearsal until 8-ish. I thought I would have enough time to stop at the Target in Queens (for one of my costume pieces) before I headed further into the dark hole of Queens, two more stops on the R. I had no problem getting into the city that morning. As soon as I left work I ran to the subway, and as soon as I stepped on to my platform in Times Square my train pulled up. And I got a seat in an air conditioned car. Sweet.

That was until I got to the 5th Avenue stop. We waited, and waited, and waited. It turns out that there was a stalled train at the last stop of the Astoria bound line. The train I was on wasn't even going to Astoria. I don't understand?! Just another classic example of all of the N/W trains backing up at one end of the line or the other and causing a problem for the rest of the system. By the time we left the station I knew there wasn't enough time to go to Target.

Listen MTA, just because you put a lot of brand spankin' new trains on the N/W line doesn't mean that you're going to fool the people who rely on that line into thinking the service is getting better. It still fucking sucks! The trains still get backed up. They still bypass the local stops and piss off the people who have been waiting in the rain or the snow or the unbearable heat for a goddamn train to pick them up. They still go express at the most inappropriate times. They still go unbelievably slow. And still stop on that scary hairpin curve right before Queensboro Plaza for whatever reason. And now you want to raise the price of my ride again? Fuck you, MTA. Get your shit together.

And to do that I'm going to start here, at the Straphangers Campaign site's complaint page. There, they let you know how to effectively articulate your complaint and who the right people are to address those complaints to. We all deserve decent affordable service and we aren't always getting it. Help stop the insanity and stand up for your right to a safe, clean, efficient, and reliable mode of transportation.

target practice

I love it too, but for the point of my blog argument: Isaac loves to pick on me. Evidence:

1. I am a pupil in his whore school.
2. I must be related to Tara Reid because we share a first name and a habit of showing our breasts.
3. I'm a drunk...
4. ...who lives in the Everglades...
5. ... and goes to school using an alligator as my mode of transportation.

And now this... Toni Collette will be staring in a new Showtime series called The United States of Tara. And guess what. She plays a woman who has disassociative identity disorder (aka multiple personalities for those who don't have psych degrees).

Let the fun begin.

shakespeare in the rain

OMG! Last night I saw Hamlet at the Delacorte in Central Park. It was soooooooooooooo fucking amazing. You guys have to go.

My synopsis of the evening:
As soon as I found out I had a pair of tickets I contacted my friend Irene and we eventually met up at the theater. It started to drizzle but I refused to spend $6 on a garbage bag to wear. After 8 crew members squeegeed the stage twice the show eventually when on, in the rain, which began to get heavier, but not wash out conditions. The rain eventually stopped at intermission but then started during the final scene. I didn't care. I was so captivated by the staging and the scenery and Michael Stuhlbarg, who played the title character.

I've read theater articles that proclaim that Raul Esparza is the finest actor of this generation, but I have to disagree and say that the two times I've seen Michael Stuhlbarg on stage he's just blown everyone else around him out of the water. He's wonderful, and it's magical just to watch him perform. Raul is pretty great, but he's not in the same league as Michael.

After 3 1/2 hours of Shakespeare, I finally went home, tired and wet, but thrilled. I have to find a way to go back.

How I got the tickets and how you can get them too:
Long live the internet! You know how in the past you used to have to go to Central Park at the butt-crack of dawn and wait in line for hours for a free ticket. Well, now you can go the website of the Public Theater and register yourself so you can sign up on line for a pair of free tickets on the day of a performance you want to attend. It was really simple and stress free. I'm sure I got tickets because of the weather situation, but it was an amazing experience that I'll always keep in my head and heart.

Why you need to see yet another version of Hamlet:
Because, it's an amazing piece of text that has stood the test of time. It's probably one of Shakespeare's finest plays. It's wonderfully directed, acted, teched, etc, etc. It's exciting and funny and heartbreaking. It's in one of the most beautiful parks in the entire world. It's such a New York thing to do that must be experienced at least once in your lifetime. This is an exciting version of this great play. Everything was done to make it it's own piece. It didn't aim to be different than all of the other Hamlet's in all of the rest of the world and time, it just was, and it was just plain wonderful.

And if you end up with an extra ticket and you don't know what to do with it, please, by all means, give me a call. I don't mind being anyone's date.

children of the corn

So, I'm back from my trip to Indiana. My looooonnnnngggg trip from Indiana.

As you may remember, I went out there for a certain someone's high school graduation that didn't happen. My other and I booked the tickets, using vouchers, when we found out the graduation date and the little brat didn't even do us the favor of graduating. Damn wasted vouchers. I was so ticked. While I was there, she told the story of why she didn't graduate (well, I heard the story 3 different times and all 3 times the story changed) and she proceeded to put the blame on everyone but herself. The short end of the long story is that she failed 4 credits and has to take them all over the summer if she doesn't want to repeat or take the GED. She's on her way to a luxurious trailer park lifestyle if she doesn't learn to activate and take responsibility for herself.

I could never live in Indiana. And I'll give you 3 reasons. And I'll give it to you in pictures.
One:

Two:

and Three:

They are all different pictures. But I kid you not, these were taken in 20 minute intervals while we were traveling from Indianapolis to Wabash. For 2 hours I saw nothing but empty corn fields. Indiana is nothing but one gigantic corn field that doesn't end until you get to Lake Michigan. Seeing the fields empty kinda reminds me of Texas when you are driving from one major city to the next and you see nothing but barren flatlands and the occasional access road. I should actually rephrase my earlier statement. I could never live in a place that is more than 10 driving minutes away from a city. I would just about kill myself if I had to drive long distances to get to the closest gas station or grocery store. Thank god for NYC.

So, I spend the entire weekend listening to teenage excuses and floating on my in-law's pontoon. They fished, I read. It was fine. I got through one book and started another while I was there. I didn't have much alone time. I helped my mom-in-law pick up after everyone because I didn't want to add to the hassle and I didn't want to make myself look bad even though I never clean up after myself at home. My other was sad to leave (cause his mommy baby's him and he did nothing but fish for 3 days straight) but I couldn't wait to get back to my real life. I missed you, New York!